Breathe, visualize, write… how to manage your fear of turbulence on the plane after the tragedy of the Singapore Airlines flight ?

This Tuesday, May 21, 2024, a plane leaving London to reach Singapore had to land urgently in Bangkok, Thailand, after being caught in violent turbulence. An aviation expert shares his advice for allaying your fear of flying.

This Tuesday, May 21, 2024, passengers on a flight from London to Singapore experienced hell when violent turbulence shook the plane. nbsp;in the open air, leading to the death of a 73-year-old man and causing several injuries. A tragedy which can increase phobia of flying and create new fears in some.

"No risk for the device"

Contacted by The HuffPost, Xavier Tylelman, co-founder of the Center for Treatment of Fear of Flying, explains that the first element to remember is that "the risk for an airplane during turbulence is non-existent". "There is no risk for the aircraft. It is too strong, it will not fall and the pilots will not lose the controls. There will be no crash, he adds.

Keep your seat belt fastened

The risks are more on the passengers' side. According to testimonies, the injured were mainly standing during the tremors because they did not have time to sit down and fasten their belts.

D’after Xavier Tytelman, "from the moment you are attached, there is no risk of injury. Generally speaking when you are sitting, you might as well keep your seat belt fastened, there is no reason to undo it."

But the probability of such tremors occurring is low. "There are five flights per year out of thirty million during which there is such strong turbulence. You should not focus your behavior on the possibility of experiencing this", he puts it into perspective.

Seat Location

The location of the seat is also important. Choose your seat at wing level rather than at the rear of the aircraft where the shaking is felt slightly more and where the noise from the engines is higher and can therefore contribute to stress.

For the co-founder of the Fear of Flying Treatment Center, the main thing is to "de-dramatize". He concludes by giving some advice to fight against fear or even overcome your phobia.

Recall the facts, ensuring that these rational responses take precedence over negative thoughts; Breathe; Write in a notebook before and during the flight; Take part in a flight simulator to ease your fears through visualization; Do not use avoidance techniques.